Kidney-protector.



No. 642,556. Patented Ian. 30, I900.

D. McG. NEWCOMER.

KIDNEY PROTECTOR.

(Application filed June 19, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

m: uonms FEYERS co. PHOTO-LUNG vusumumu. u. c,

Patented Jan. 30, I900. D. McG. NEWCOMER.

KIDNEY PROTECTOR.

(Application filed June 19, 1896.)

2 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

Jew/ad m: uonms vzrsns co.. momumo. msumumu. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID MCG. NEWOOMER, OF HANOVER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY SAMUEL EHRHART, OF SAME PLACE.

KIDNEY-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,556, dated January 30, 1900.

' m a 51 June 19, 1896. Serial No. 696,210. (No model.)

To aZl whom it may concern:

Beit knownthatLDAVID MOG.NEWCOMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hanover, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Body-Garments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to back or kidney protectors.

The object is to afford thorough and adequate protection to the kidneys, especially if weak or diseased, against the effects of cold and dampness and at the same time to impart restorative and strengthening action; fu rthermore, to provide a kidney protector that may be worn without inconvenience; furthermore, to provide a kidney-protector that will when in position automatically adjust itself and remain in place under the different positions assumed by the body of the wearer in walking, sitting, stooping, or lifting, and, furthermore, to provide a kidney-protector that may be made without any waste of material and that will not require any nice measurement or accurate fitting to adapt it to the person of the wearer.

In a kidney-protector characterized by my invention I employ a suitable textile fabric of an absorbent character, preferably red flannel, and fold and stitch the fabric in such manner as to produce a triangular-shaped four-ply structure, whereof the apex is adapted to bear against the back of the wearer between the shoulder-blades and the two ends to bear upon the crest of the pelvis. The protector may be secured in place by means of strings or tapes suitably disposed with relation to the protector; but as a matter of specific improvement I prefer to dispose the tapes at such points on the protector as to secure it in place about the body of the wearer in such manner as to yield to the motion of the body,and thereby prevent any discomfort, as from binding orchafing. To this end I provide a loop at the apex of the protector adapted to be passed over the head of the wearer, and two tapes secured to the protector intermediate of the ends of the sides, one of these latter tapes being passed through the loop and united by a knot to the other tape. This connection between the tapes and the loop is such as to permit of a sliding or giving action between the two, so that there will be an automatic adjustment of the protector to the wearer. The loop may be secured at both ends to the protector; but in order to adapt it to persons of difierent stature I prefer in some instances to secure but one end of the loop to the protector and pass the other end through a suitable buckle or holding device secured to the protector, and by this arrangement the size of the loop may be increased or diminished at will. In addition to the loop and the two tapes already described there are two other tapes which are secured to the ends of the base of the protector and operate to draw the protector around the body of the wearer and over the crest of the pelvis and hold it securely in position there.

The protector may be constructed of a pinrality of layers of fabric stitched or otherwise held together; but as a matter of further and specific improvement I prefer to construct it of a single piece of fabric out square, then folded to form a smaller square, constituting a two-ply structure, and then folded again upon itself to form a triangular four-ply structure having all of. the exposed edges formed double, so as to obviate the presentation of rough or ragged selvages or the employment of tape or other binder to prevent unraveling. In addition to the plies formed by the folding of the material I may in some instances employ a supplemental ply, pad, or shield to be secured to the protector at a point that will lie over the kidneys when the protector is in position on the wearer. This ply or pad will be employed where an extra warmth or glow is desired.

Further and more specific details of construction will hereinafter be fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated a form of embodiment of my invention and also a modification thereof, although it is to be understood that other forms of embodiment thereof may be employed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear view of the upper portion of a human figure, showing the protector in position thereon,with the loop at the top or apex of the protector passed over the head of the wearer. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, showing the ends of the protector secured in place over the crest of the pelvis by tapes secured to the ends of the base portion of the protector and the two intermediate tapes engaging the loop and secured together by being tied to hold the apex of the protector well up between the shoulder-blades of the wearer. Fig. 3 is a viewin the nature of a diagram, showing a piece of textile fabric before being folded the first time, the folding-lines beingindicated by a series of dashes. Fig. etisa viewin elevation, showing the fabric folded the first time to form a square,with the flaps held down by two rows or lines of stitches, one on each side of the meeting edges of the flaps. Fig. 5 is also a viewin elevation, showing the fabric folded asecond time to form a triangular four-ply structure and displaying also the tapes and the lines of stitches for securing the folds together. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views similar to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4c, and 5, but showing the additional ply or pad, constituting also a reinforcing-shield, to be secured to the protector at a point that will lie over the kindeys, also a curve, bow, or yoke formed in the base of the protector below the said pad.

Referring to the drawings and to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, A designates a piece of textile fabric, preferably square and of a width in this instance of the material from which it is out. This fabric is first folded upon itself on the lines a to form a square structure B, the flaps thus turned over being held down by rows of stitches I), one on each side of the meeting edges of the flaps and extending in this instance in one direction only, thus forming a two-ply structure. This structure is then folded centrally upon itself to form a triangular four-ply structure 0, the flaps being held assembled bylines of edge stitches c and a line of center stitches 0 running parallel with the lines of stitches b. Previous to sewing the lines of stitches c tapes D D, D D and E, the latter constituting a loop. are basted near the edges of one of the flaps and are finally secured in place by the lines of stitches c. It will be seen by the peculiar manner of folding the fabric that there will be no raw edges exposed to view, thereby obviating the necessity of the employment of a binding tape or braid to conceal a selvage.

In operation the loop E is passed over the head of the wearer and one of the tapes D is passed through the loop in front and tied to the other tape D and the tapes D are then tied together, holding the ends of the protector in place over the crest of the pelvis, as shown in Fig. 2. By the slip-bight formed between the loop E and the tapes D these parts will move upon themselves, and thus permit the protector automatically to adjust itself and remain in place under the different positions assumed by the body of the wearer, and thus prevent inconvenience or discomfort of any kind. By the close contact effected between the body of the wearer and the protector the kidneys will be effectually shielded from the effects of cold and dampness, and by the healthful warmth or glow caused by the protector they will be strengthened and invigorated, while the flannel, from its absorbent properties, will prevent liability of sudden chilling of the parts by absorbing the perspiration.

In Figs. 6, 7, S, 9, and 10 the protector is shown as provided with a supplemental pad or shield F of fabric, secured to the inside of the structure at a point that will lie immediaiely over the kidneys when in position on the wearer and at some distance above the base of the protector. This pad may be of any desired shape and thickness and made of any suitable material; but in this instance it is preferred to make it of the same material as that of which the protector is made and of three plies thereof, the two outside plies ff being of the same size and the middle ply f smaller, the object of having this latter ply smaller than the other two being to prevent the formation of an abrupt rise or edge at the perimeter of the pad, and thereby present a better finish. In attaching this pad to the protector two lines of stitches are employed, the outer line f serving to hold the pad in proper position on the protector and the inner line f to hold the middle plyf in proper position with relation to the other two plies. It is to be understood that in some instances I may employ a greater or a less number of plies, according as a higher or a lower degree of warmth may be desired, and for this reason I do not wish to confine myself to the employment of a pad constructed of only three plies of material. In securing this pad in place it is laid upon the fabric when the latter has first been folded to make a square structure, and it is stitched to but one side of the square, the outline of the pad thus appearing only on one side of the structure when completed, although, if preferred, it may be stitched to the protector after the same has been folded to the triangular shape, so as to exhibit the stitches on both sides of the structure. In addition to the pad F, I provide a curve, bow, or yoke G at the base of the protector, which causes the protector to conform with readiness and ease to the person of the wearer. This curve or yoke may be formed in different ways, and in this instance is produced by removing an approximately semicircularshaped piece of the fabric from the base of the protector after it has been folded to form the triangular-shaped structure and then cutting kerfs g in the material surrounding the opening and turning the kerfed portions back and sewing them to the body of the strucplace, so as to form a loop, I employ anysuitable form of fastening device, as a clamp or buckle H, which is secured to the protector at or near the apex thereof. The device may be of any preferred style; but one adapted to hold the tape by frictional contact between the tongue or slide and the tape is preferable. By the employment of the fastening device the loop or tape E may be lengthened or shortened at will, so as to adapt the protector to persons of different stature. Buckles may also be used in connection with the tapes D D I prefer to make the protector of aparticular kind of close-woven and soft and pliant flannel, and the entire body portion may be of suitably-medicated material or only that part which is to cover the lumbar region or regions of the kidneys and which I prefer to mark in outline in the manner described may be medicated or include a medicinal agent ed upon themselves to form a square structure, the flaps thus folded being held by lines of stitches extending from one corner of the structure to the diametrically opposite corner, then folded again to form a triangular four-ply structure, the folds of which are held together by lines of stitches extending along the three edges of the structure and by a central line of stitches lying between and parallel with the first-named lines of stitches, tapes secured at the corners of the base and midway of the sides of the structure, and a loop secured at the apex of the structure, substantially as described.

2. A kidney-protector comprising a piece.

of textile fabric having its four corners folded upon themselves to form a square structure, the flaps thus folded being held by lines of stitches extending from one corner of the structure to the diametrically opposite corner, then folded again to form a triangular four-ply structure, the folds of which are held together by lines of stitches extending along the three edges of the structure and by a central line of stitches lying between and parallel with the first-named lines of stitches, tapes secured at the corners of the base and midway of the sides of the structure, a loop secured at the apex of the structure, a supplemental pad secured to the structure above the base-line thereof, and a yoke below the pad, substantially as described.

3. A kidney-protector comprising a body portion triangular in shape with the edges secured together in such manner as to avoid the presentation of aselvage, aportion of the length of the center of the base of the protector being kerfed and turned inward to form a yoke, and a supplemental pad secured between the folds of the protector above the yoke, substantially as described.

4. A kidney-protector comprising a body portion triangular in shape with the edges secured together in such manner as to avoid the presentation of a selvage, a portion of the length of the center of the base of the protector being kerfed and turned inward to form a yoke, a supplemental pad secured between the folds of the protector above the yoke, an adjustable loop secured at the apex of the protector, and tapes secured at the outer ends of the base portion and at the sides, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID MOG. NEWCOMER.

Witnesses:

JACOB W. BENDER, WILLIAM J. STINE. 

